Parton began performing as a child, singing on local radio and television in East Tennessee. At age 12 she was appearing on Knoxville TV, and at 13, she was recording on a small label and appearing at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville. When she graduated from high school in 1964 she moved to Nashville, taking many traditional elements of folklore and popular music from East Tennessee with her.
Parton's initial success came as a songwriter, with her songs being covered by Kitty Wells, Hank Williams, Jr., Skeeter Davis, and a number of others. She signed with Monument Records in late 1965, where she was initially pitched as a bubblegum pop singer, earning only one national chart single, "Happy, Happy Birthday Baby," which did not crack the Billboard Top 100. Additional pop singles also failed to chart.
The label agreed to have Parton sing country music after her composition "Put It Off Until Tomorrow" as recorded by Bill Phillips (and with Parton, uncredited, on harmony) went to No. 6 on the country charts in 1966. Her first country single, "Dumb Blonde" (one of the few songs during this era that she recorded but didn't write), reached No. 24 country 1967, followed later the same year with "Something Fishy," which went to No. 17. The two songs anchored her first full-length album, Hello I'm Dolly, that same year.
In 1967, Parton was asked to join the weekly syndicated country music TV program hosted by Porter Wagoner, replacing Norma Jean. She also signed with RCA Records, Wagoner's label, during this period, where she would remain for the next two decades. Wagoner and Parton immediately began a hugely successful career as a vocal duet in addition to their solo work and their first single together, a cover of Tom Paxton's "The Last Thing on My Mind," reached the top ten on the U.S. country charts in late 1967, and was the first of over a dozen duet singles to chart for them during the next several years.
Parton is a hugely successful songwriter, having begun by writing country songs with strong elements of folk music in them based upon her upbringing in humble mountain surroundings. Her songs "Coat of Many Colors" and "Jolene" have become classics in the field, as have a number of others. As a composer, she is also regarded as one of country music's most gifted storytellers, with many of her narrative songs based on persons and events from her childhood.
In 1982 Dolly Parton sang her song "I Will Always Love You", for the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas", starring Parton and Burt Reynolds. The song - originally composed around 1974 - made few ripples, but it wasn't until Whitney Houston re-recorded it for "The Bodyguard" a decade later, that the song made yet another international hit for Dolly Parton. She later put out her own version on the 1996 album of the same name.
In 1987, Parton left her longtime label, RCA, and signed with Columbia Records, where her recording career continued to prosper, but by the mid 1990s, Parton, along with many other performers of her generation, found that her new music was not welcome on country radio playlists. She recorded a series of critically acclaimed bluegrass albums, beginning with "The Grass is Blue" (1999) and "Little Sparrow" (2001), both of which won Grammy Awards. Her 2002 album "Halos and Horns" included a bluegrass version of the Led Zeppelin classic Stairway to Heaven. In 2005, Parton released Those Were The Days, her interpretation of hits from the folk-rock era of the late 1960s through early 1970s. The CD featured such classics as John Lennon's "Imagine," Cat Stevens' "Where Do The Children Play," Tommy James' "Crimson & Clover," and the folk classic "Where Have All The Flowers Gone", as well as the title track.
In 2007, Dolly paved new musical ground by forming her own record label, Dolly Records. The label's first release - Backwoods Barbie - debuted at #2 on the Billboard country albums charts and marks Parton's first mainstream country album in 17 years. Parton is touring North America and Europe throughout 2008 in support of her latest release.
1955
This Boy Has Been Hurt
Dolly Parton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And so I stopped to see what I could do
His heart had been run over by a reckless lover
She ran over it and broke it and left it black and blue
Tears were scattered everywhere he was trying to save his pride
He was the victim of a love and run
And I could plainly see that she had almost killed him
Left the scene of a broken heart not looking back at what she'd done
Oh, this boy has been hurt, I'll save him
I'll take his heart and mend it if I can
Oh, this boy has been hurt, I'll save him
I'll take his tears and dry them as fast as he can cry them
I'll heal his hurt and make him as good as new again
The lyrics to Dolly Parton's song "This Boy Has Been Hurt" tell the story of a man who has been hurt by a previous lover. The singer of the song sees the man trying to pick up the pieces of his broken heart and stops to see what she can do to help. She sees the devastation that the man's previous lover had caused, and how he was left vulnerable and broken. The man is trying to save his pride, but the singer can see that he is struggling.
The singer of the song decides to help the man by mending his broken heart and drying his tears. She promises to heal his hurt and make him as good as new again. It's clear that the singer feels compassion and empathy for the man and wants to help him heal from the hurt that he has experienced.
The song is a powerful message about the impact that love can have on a person. Love can be beautiful, but it can also be incredibly painful. The lyrics of the song capture the vulnerability and fragility that comes with being in love, and the importance of being there for someone when they are going through a difficult time.
Line by Line Meaning
I saw him picking up the pieces of his broken heart
I witnessed him trying to move on from the pain of a broken heart
And so I stopped to see what I could do
I wanted to help him in any way I could
His heart had been run over by a reckless lover
He had been hurt deeply by someone who did not care about his feelings
She ran over it and broke it and left it black and blue
She caused him immense emotional pain and did not care about the damage she caused
Tears were scattered everywhere he was trying to save his pride
He was trying to hold back his emotions and appear strong, but the pain was evident
He was the victim of a love and run
He was hurt by someone who used him for their own pleasure and then left without a second thought
And I could plainly see that she had almost killed him
The emotional pain had taken a toll on him and he was struggling to cope
Left the scene of a broken heart not looking back at what she'd done
She did not care about the pain she caused and left him behind to deal with the aftermath alone
Oh, this boy has been hurt, I'll save him
I am determined to help him heal from the pain and move on
I'll take his heart and mend it if I can
I want to help him restore his ability to love and trust again
Oh, this boy has been hurt, I'll save him
I am committed to helping him heal and overcome his pain
I'll take his tears and dry them as fast as he can cry them
I will support him emotionally and help him to cope with his pain as he goes through the healing process
I'll heal his hurt and make him as good as new again
I want to help him restore his confidence and sense of self-worth and renew his ability to love and be loved
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BILL OWENS, DOLLY PARTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Romy K.
on Gypsy Joe And Me
As a matter of fact she's contemplating suicide standing on the bridge, that's how they'll be together again.